musings on life both at sea and ashore

About

When I was a little boy my uncle brought an old row boat that had outlived its usefulness on the water to our house. We placed the boat under the apple tree in our yard, and it became the stage for many a voyage for the neighborhood kids. But, long after it lost its initial appeal for our friends, it continued to capture my imagination. I spent hours rowing to imaginary islands, rescuing mariners in peril, and exploring far off lands.

From that point on, boats represented a gateway to adventure, and I could not learn enough about them. One of my favorite books as a young boy was “All About Ships”, followed by a young person’s version of “Moby Dick” which i still own. When I was fifteen, I saved enough money from my job as a dishwasher at a local steak house ( earning $1.73 per hour) and bought a canoe.

During the last 15 years I have built rowboats, a kayak, and a canoe. And owned a small powerboat when we lived in NH, but it was not until two years ago that I bought my first boat that is capable of cruising. Some would disagree! How far can you go in a boat that is only 23 feet long? Pretty far when one is used to camping in a two person tent is my response.. 🙂

And so, I hope to share some of my sailing experiences through this blog. But life happens ashore as well. In my case, a whole lot of life. Despite my best intentions, I only spent a dozen nights aboard last year. And so, at the risk of presenting what may appear as a series of random posts, I will be sharing non-nautical observations as well. Of course, it may very well be that they are, indeed, a random series of posts, but I hope that my thoughts will strike a chord with any readers who might happen by. And years from now, perhaps when I can no longer go to sea, they will stimulate fond memories of an earlier time!